The Slytherin common room was buzzing when the team finally got back. Bella was proud of her win, yes, but she was even more proud of the win she had over Potter. She was one up on him now. As she walked through the common room, she lost track of how many pats on the back and how many times 'well done' or 'great game' was shouted to her. She tried to smile back at everyone who'd congratulated her, but it's hard to direct your attention to the whole of your house. She tried, and that's all that mattered to her. Finally, she found Lucy at the very back of the common room, sitting by a window, the water from the lake bubbling past. Lucy grinned at her.

'Well done,' She smirked. 'saw you kick his broom though, I know the ref didn't, but I did.' She laughed, she couldn't help it.

Bella shrugged and sat down opposite her. 'So what? He lost control, remember? That's what Collins said.'

Lucy beamed at her and was about to say something else, when Abby flew at them, almost knocking over the table as she crashed into it.

'Tom… Riddle,' She panted. 'he's here… just seen him… near Dumbledore's… office…' She took a deep breath, evidently having run all the way back there. 'Congrats, by the way.' She said quickly to Bella. But she was already on her feet.

'Dumbledore's office?' She checked again. Abby nodded, too breathless to repeat herself. 'Thanks.' Bella muttered, before she took off again and exited the common room. If Riddle was back, she intended to know about it. He was her ex-Quidditch Captain, after all, he might want to know that they just beat Gryffindor under her lead. Maybe he'd be proud of her. Although, she doubted if he actually remembered her, she was only on the team for one year while he was Captain, and she was only in her third year. She was young, why would he have had any need to remember her?

Dumbledore's office was sealed, the golden eagle stairwell was all the way up, indicating that he had a guest. Riddle. Bella sighed. So, she'd just have to wait for him. After hanging around for about five minutes, she realised that it might look a bit odd if she was just waiting for him outside like some kind of stalker. Which she was. But still. She'd have to create some kind of apparently coincidental run-in. She left her current waiting spot and wandered over to the other side of the corridor, which had a good view of the office stairs, so she could still see him leaving. But… how to accidently meet him? Maybe if she just walked by, he'd recognise her? After all, she'd always had the unruly, dark, curly hair, it was a very distinguishing feature.

'Excuse me,' Bella heard a female voice behind her. 'what are you doing?'

She spun around, well ready to simply smile at the Prefect, be recognised, and be let off. However, when she saw the red and gold crest on the robes of this Prefect, she realised it wasn't going to be so easy. Molly Prewitt was standing with one hand on her hip, the other holding a book against her chest, her long red hair flowing down onto it.

'I'm playing Quidditch.' Bella said without a hint of irony. Molly raised her eyebrows.

'Don't try and be funny with me, Black. I know your cousin, don't forget.'

Bella couldn't stop herself laughing at that. 'Yeah? Well don't forget that my gran used to have a house elf called Dipsy.'

'What?'

'Thought we were exchanging information the other didn't care about?'

Molly glared at her. 'Do you know what this book is, Black?'

'Red?'

'Very funny.'

'I know.'

'It's a book of names of students that give us attitude when we're trying to do our duties,' She opened the book slowly and flicked through the pages for effect. 'and there's a nice empty space here with your name on it.'

'Clearly not, else it wouldn't be an empty space, would it?'

Molly did not laugh, even though Bella was grinning at her. She was picking up her quill now, which had been casually lying in the centre pages. She was about to write down Bella's name, when a voice halted her.

'Bellatrix Black?' A male voice. Both girls turned and stared. It was him. Tom Riddle was standing outside the headmaster's office, addressing her. 'And you can stop writing in that book of yours,' he said to the Prefect. 'I'll take it from here.'

'And you are…?' Molly asked him rudely. Bella almost gasped. As if she was asking?

'Just leaving Professor Dumbledore's office. So I'd recommend that you trot off back to your common room.'

Molly opened her mouth to argue back, but thought better of it, turned on her heels and promptly left. Bella gaped at Tom Riddle, unable to believe what was actually happening.

'You're welcome.' He shrugged, interpreting her silence as thanks. Bella's reaction suddenly soured.

'I could have handled it myself.'

'Yes, but I was impatient.' Tom Riddle answered flatly. Bella simple stared at him. Impatient? Tom cleared his throat. 'I saw you in the match today. You played quite brilliantly.'

'Thanks.' Bella tried to stop herself smiling back into his handsome, chiselled face – but it was impossible.

He smiled back politely. 'Congratulations on the win. I see you're picking up the pieces from that disaster I hear Jen left behind?'

Bella nodded, once more trying to halt the grin that she was desperate to present.

'Well done. You were always good though, even when you were younger.' Tom smiled at her again. Bella beamed at him, she couldn't help it. He remembered her! He actually remembered!

'Do you still play?' She asked him, trying to make conversation so he didn't leave. 'I mean, you were really good.'

Tom sighed. 'No, sadly. I don't really have the time these days.'

'Oh.' Bella replied. 'Because of work?'

'Yeah.'

'Is that what you were doing here? Working?'

His expression suddenly twisted for a second. It was gone as quickly as it came, returning his calm demeanour.

'I was applying for a job, actually.'

'Oh, really? Which?'

'Defence Against the Dark Arts,' He informed her. 'but I didn't get it.'

'Why?' Bella questioned, suddenly slightly outraged by this. If he'd got a teaching job, he'd be here every day!

Tom shrugged. 'Dumbledore said I wasn't suited to the position… whatever the hell that means.' He growled, his eyes greying over for a second.

'That's ridiculous! You got the Services to the School Award, surely that means something?' Bella protested angrily. Tom smirked at her sudden anger, he was actually quite proud of her. She'd changed since he knew her, but she'd changed in a good way. She'd grown; got more outspoken, more confident, and more daring. And most of all, she'd developed a challenging nature, she wanted to challenge everything she knew. And that was most definitely a good thing. He could tell all this from a small conversation, and a Quidditch match. But he wasn't just listening to the conversation, he was listening to something else, too.

'If I thought he wouldn't expel me, I'd march straight up to Dumbledore right now.' Bella told him strongly. 'But he doesn't really need an excuse to expel me.'

'You could always leave, you know.' Tom suggested casually.

'No, I couldn't,' Bella sighed. 'What would I do? Without NEWTs, who's going to give me a job?'

'I would.' He smiled sweetly at her.

'Thanks, but do you have a business?'

'In a manner of speaking. I could train you for it.'

'And what business are we talking about?'

Tom winked at her. 'Not telling.' Bella raised her eyebrows at him. 'What? Don't you trust me?' He asked her, putting on a very hurt expression.

Bella smirked at him. 'I'm not going to agree to become part of a business when I don't know what 'business' it deals in.'

'Smart girl,' Tom noted to himself. 'Well,' He continued. 'it's not necessarily a business, more like an organisation. And it's not very big yet, but it's growing. It's for a good cause, Bellatrix, trust me. And I can train you in magic skills you've never even heard of,' His voice had changed and right then she just wanted to agree to everything he was saying, and she had no idea why.

'But will it earn me any money?'

'Do you need money?'

Bella shrugged. 'True.'

'Exactly. So just do it for fun.'

'Fun?'

'What's life without a bit of fun? Why not do something you enjoy?'

Bella mused over it. She would like that… But how did he know she'd enjoy it if she didn't even know what it was?

'And what would you teach me?'

Tom smirked at her, looking her up and down. His eyes returned to her face, which had now turned a considerable shade of pink. 'Magic you couldn't even dream of. Not to mention, they'd never dream of teaching here.'

Bella didn't reply. She was slowly dreaming away into Tom's words. Magic she couldn't dream of? And magic they wouldn't teach here? She was intrigued. More than intrigued. She wanted to do it. The consequences were suddenly irrelevant. She wanted to do whatever it took for Tom Riddle to teach her.

Tom smiled, a deep, meaningful smile. He knew exactly what she was thinking. And he knew he'd got her. He was already aware that she was a powerful witch, and he knew that with the correct cultivation, she could become so much more than that. She could be a weapon too powerful to even comprehend. She had elements implanted in her mind already, just waiting the grow into something else.

'So you'll teach me, then?' Bella asked eagerly.

He nodded truthfully. 'Of course. If you wish.'

'I do.'

'Very well.'

'Where and when?'

Tom studied her. Could she really be trusted with this? That was the one thing he couldn't work out about her. 'Next time you're on a Hogsmeade visit, I'll come and find you.'

'How will you know where I am?'

'I'll find you.' He repeated. Bella sighed, evidently he knew what he was talking about. It was probably best not to question him.

'I'll see you then.' Tom said with a smile. Bella couldn't help but grin back at him and nod. As he turned away from her and walked down the corridor, she couldn't help but think that technically it could possibly be described as a date. Maybe. She smiled to herself.

'Miss Black,'

Bella spun around, her hand hovering over the pocket with her wand inside. Professor Dumbledore was giving her a pleasant smile as he stood there, just immerging from the shadows. She didn't smile back.

'I see you've met Mr Riddle?'

'I knew him already.' Bella replied stiffly.

'Of course, I had forgotten you played Quidditch together,' He said, once more trying the smile, and again getting nothing in return. 'what did he want with you? Friendly catch up?'

'None of your business,' She glared at him. 'Professor.' She added spitefully.

'I suggest you go back to your common room, Bellatrix.'

'Gladly.' She turned on her heels and began storming down the corridor.

'I can retract that Captaincy, you know!' Dumbledore called after all. Bella didn't respond, as she was trying her best not to turn around and give him the finger. She was going to go back to the common room, and she knew she was, but this just seemed to be a night for being interrupted. She saw the one scene she could not watch without feeling a burning in her heart.

James and Lily were practically entwined in each other in the dungeon corridor. The main corridor. The only corridor to the Slytherin common room. Bella's fist clenched involuntarily around her wand. She didn't want to use it. But she did. Her head was telling her that this was a stupid idea, but her heart was wrapped in so much anguish that it was bubbling up like lava in a volcano. She gripped her wand but refused to move it. Her whole being was making her try to hurt him, it was forcing her to take physical action. Her head started spinning, the darkened corridor becoming even darker, and the candle lights whirling around her started to fly faster and faster until they were simply a yellow blur. Like stars in the night sky.

There was a silence shattering smash. The glass of the trophy cabinet that ran the entire wall cracked and imploded, glass smashing to the floor. James and Lily broke apart instantly and retreated to the other side of the hallway. Bella didn't even notice, she wasn't noticing anything. Her knees hit the floor first, but she wasn't far behind to let herself just collapse onto the stone cold foor.